A damp air mass is hovering over the area as the temperature rises, and rise it will. The high for Monday is 93 – with a heat index making it feel like 100 or more. The high climbs to 94 on Tuesday, 96 on Wednesday, and down a degree to 95 on Thursday – with heat indices making it feel like 105 on each of those days.

On average in July, there should be six 90 degree days in the Tri-State Area. So far, there have been three this year, but five more are expected –bringing a total of eight by the end of this week.

But it’s not as if such hot temperatures are unheard of, WCBS 880’s Sophia Hall reported. Murdock said last year, there were actually 10 90-degree days in July.

And last year wasn’t the record either.

“In 1993, there were 20 days of extreme heat,” Murdock told Hall. “That is the hottest July I have noted.”

Since the July heat took hold, doctors have seen cases where heat exhaustion and even more severe conditions sneak up on people — especially those with chronic conditions and senior citizens.

“Anytime you start feeling ill in the heat, feeling weak, nausea, feel like you may pass out, those kinds of things, it’s important at that moment to get out of the heat to get into a cool environment,” said Dr. Jeffrey Rabrich of St. Luke’s Hospital.

On Sunday afternoon New Yorkers were out trying their own methods of beating the heat.